Diiiection



May 24, 1927.

1,630,014 C. H. JOHNSON DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed April 14. 1926 10st, 10h and 10".

tween the plates, and it engages the rack bar 24s, Which is guided between the plates. The pinion terminates in a lever 2&3 Which is manually operated. Y By turning the lever about the battery 23, reciprocating ino-vement is imparted to the rack bar 211, and as the loiver end ot the Wire 22 is secured to the rack bar 24 as at 25, reciprocaly movement Will also be imparted to the rack bar 20, and rotary movement .to the pinion 8. Such rotary movement causes the arms 9 and to swing about the horizontal axis 7. and the arm accordingly assume any one ot the sialling positions inuicate'd at Then the operating lever 24tafis grasped and sivung in the direction ot arroiv a, rack bars .24 and 2O are recipro- `cated in unison, and the pinions 8 and 23 y are also rotated in unison. rThe operating tendency of pinion 8 is to swing the arm 10 as indicated. However, rotation is also iinparted to the arm 10 about the longitudinal axis ot the arm 9. This is due to the tact itha't lug 14e projects through the opening 19 in the side plate 2 and as such kengages the shoulder 13 formed at the upper end of the opening-V19. Engagement or the lug 14 with the shoulder causes the collar 13, together with the arm 10, to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the arm 9 in the directionof arrow l) in F ig. 5. The rotation will continiie until the other side 1o` and 17 ot the collar engages the inner faces of the side plates 2 and 8, when further rotation is prevented. A quarter-revolution is imparted by engagement otI the lug 14 ivith the shoulder 30, and this quarter-revolution takes place While arm 10 is swinging from the full v line position shown in Fig. 2 to the dotted line position indicated at 10, Further rotation is prevented, therefore, due to the engagement of the flat i'aces 16 and 17 with the side tace of the housing,.and the arm will accordingly continue to swing about its horizontal axis 7 Without further rotation aboutA its longitudinal axis.

`10 is-movcd from any of the signalling positionsdoivn to the full line yposition shown in 2, lug 14 Will engage thelluglS. and a reverse rotary movement will be transmitted to the arm 10, until it assumes the position shown in Fig. v5. This, quarter rotation of the arm permits it to lie over against the body ot' the automobile as shown in Figs. 1 andr 2 `when assuming inoperative position, and it permits it to siving broadside when assuming any one ot the signalling` positions. The arm, in other Words, occupies comparatively little spacel When it is in operating position, and as one or both sides of the arrow may be painted to conform to the iinisli ot the automobile top, it is obvious that it will not impair the finish or the gcneral appearance, and will at no time appear bulky or cumbersome, as the casing A by Then the arm which it is supported is a comparatively narroiv and small one, thus permitting it to be attached to oneot the side posts of the automobile top shown in Fig. 1.

By referring-to Fig. 2 it ivill be noted that a series ot notches 38 are formed in one of the sidey plates ot the casing B. These notches serve the function ot locking the operating lever 2st-a in any one of the signalling positions; that is, the operating lever ivill engage the lii'st notch when the signalling position 10 is assumed; the second notch ivlien the signalling position 10b is as sinned; and so on. In actual operation, the driver sets the signal prior tomahing a turn, and leaves the signal in this position until the turn has been completed.V 1t sometimes happens that he toi-gets to retract the signal, andas this is not desirable, dueto the confusion to other drivers, applicant has provided means jfor audibly Warning the driver that the direction indicating arm is assuming av signalling position. He accomplishes this by placing a contact segment 3ft in the housing B'. This contact segment y is a spring arm which is secured at oney end, as at 3G. The opposite end is-tree, butis depressed by the lever 24u when this sivings over the segment. When the spring arm is depressed it engages the contact 35, and as such closes the circuit to a battery 37 and a buzzer or bell 38. This buzzer or audible .alarm mechanism ivill continue to sound as long as the indicatingarm assumes the signalling positiomand they driver is accordingly reminded of the fact that therarm should be retracted. rlhe l operating lever 24a moves o-ut ot engagement with the spring contact segment 24 when the arm is retracted to normal oi inoperative position,

.and the circuit to the buzzer is thus broken and ceases to operate When the arm is retracted.- A horn or any other alarm mechanism may of course be used.

In Fig. 2 the alarm is shoivn as actuated by the operating lever 24F. By referring to Fig. G it Will be noted that a circuit may be closed by means of the rack bar 20. In that instance one side of the circuit is connected ivith'the base of the housing, as shown at 36, While the other side of the circuit is connected to a'piish button 37. y During doivn- Wardy movement of the rack bar While the ,signalling arm is moving into position, the

rack bar engages the push button and closes the circuit, thereby sounding the alarm When the arm reaches signalling position. Not only that, but it also maintains the circuit through the alarm mechanism as long as the signalling arm remains in signalling position. In actual practice it is preferred to place the circuit making and breaking mechanism at the point shoivn in Fig. 6, as this has proven most practical.

The invention is of course more oi' less i `1^spieifieiiiyfillustrated; but i wish wandel ystoodfthat changes maybe resorted to within ythe scope of the, appended claims; similarly,

that the materials and finish of the several" parts employed may be such as the experi ence and judgmentof the inanuiaetufrermav dictate or varioiisconditions may demand.l

Having thus deseribedimy invention, what I claimfa's new 'and desire lto tersPatent is:

seoure by Letl "1. `In a directionlindieatorof thek ehafaeter described, a casing eoi'nprising a'k pair yof parallel, interspaeed plates, an arm .pivotedy at one end Ona horizontal axis between saidy plates, means for swinging said arin about Afthe horizontal axis to assiiinei different signailing posit-ions, a collar on the arm, a lug on one of theside plates and alug on the collar engageablje with the side yplatelug to rotate the arm one-quartei'fievolution upon its longitudinal axis, said* collar engaging the inner aeesfo-f the easing plates and non mally f securing 1 the arm againstturning l movement upony rits longitudinal axis.

A `2.fiA#direct-ion 'indicator comprising aeas-y VVVingfsaid easing` having iafp'air ot-interspaeed, parallel sidewalls,y an arnilpivoted at one'4 .fend in'theoasing, means for swingingjuthe arm about thepivot between the side Walls 'to assume a pluralityof signalling positions,

saidp'ositioiisibeing ,a downward vertical iiioperative position, a horizontal .right y, anguthe- 'firsti degree position toV they horizontal position' and to theseeond 45 'degreeposi-tion.

Asignalling devieeof the yoharaeter de n `scribed comprising a casing, said easing having a pairof interspaeed side walls, an arm` pivoted between the `walls and/normally adapted tol assume an inoperative position, nieans or'swinging the arni about itspivot from said inoperativeposition `to. assume la 'plurality of different! signalling "positions, Inieans whereby the. ai'in is `turned a quarteit revolution about 'its' longitudinal `axiswhile A ,being swung flfroin itsinoperative position to i 'a first signallingpositionand vnieansorfrv j maintaining the :armi in 4said turned. position` and against turning movement when p swing',- v ing it to assume other signalling positions f y s CHARLESH. JOHNSON; 21j' 

